Taipei, taiwan recommendations night markets food etc?

After our one day layover in Tokyo we are going to taipei for a week with a couple of friends are there any can’t miss market stands or restaurants?

Bumping this thread as we’re planning a visit next month.

we went to:

Yong kang beef noodles
Ling dong fang beef noodles

Ay Chung for rice noodle soup

Hot star for fried chicken patty

Yong he for soy milk

Raohe night market for black pepper buns. They have tons of other food too that is good

Sunny hills for pineapple cake

Tian jin for scallion pancake

Jin Feng for lu rounfan

She zi Dan for bing

Hangzhou and dtf for xlb

Most of the night markets and areas have good food just use google maps for reviews or look for places that have lines

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Quite the itinerary! I so miss the food in Taiwan. Although cooked foods may be the focus, I would simply recommend eating every fruit possible while you are there. I can’t recall what is in season by November, but just. eat. everything. The quality versus what we get in the States is incomparable because the Taiwanese are so proud of their fruits and the growing conditions are so perfect. Watermelon is always sweet, juicy and ‘swa’ (that perfect watermelon texture that is crisp, slightly gritty, juicy but not to watery.) Lychees. Pongkam (mandarins that are sweeter and juicier and make a mockery of the overpriced Sumo mandarins. Lianwu (wax apples). Dragonfruit. Grapes.

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I’ll be going end of December, so I wanted to remind myself of my favorite spots and also share them for the thread!

Beef Noodle Soup

This place remains my favorite Beef Noodle Shop place, after sampling around all the commonly-frequented places. The food truly is emblematic of ugly delicious.

  • But I think their best dish is their Zhajiangmian. Unbelievably garlicky savory pork coating a thick,chewy, udon-like noodle. QQ AF
  • Being Vietnamese, Beef Soups are just something I grew up eating, and I never connected with Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup until I had this shop’s.
  • I was so attached to this spot, that I intentionally chose a 12 hour layover in Taipei just to eat here again,
  • YMMV!
  • Google Maps


Ba-wan

or Taiwanese Meatball at any of these chains 彰化肉圓 [copy and paste those characters into google maps and you should see a few locations]

  • This is the location that introduced the dish to me
  • Essentially, this is a gluttenous rice flour dumpling stuffed with pork, bamboo shoots, wood-ear mushrooms
  • Its then poached in a cauldron of oil until the inside is cooked
  • Then, it’s topped with a super garlicky sweet and sour sauce
  • Optionally, you lace on as much hot sauce [which perfumes of habanero chilis to me IMO] and cilantro to your discretion


Sushi

  • complicated colonization history has given Taiwanese people an affinity for sushi and raw fish; the prices are incredible if you’re in the mood and there are plenty of Seafood Donburi places you can gorge yourself on excellent seafood for a great price.
  • Google Maps

Addiction Aquatic Development is a nice spot; affordable and good vibes. Nothing grand, but pretty competent sushi and great QPR

Lou Rou Fan [Braised Pork over Rice]

  • My Stove Google Maps
  • Nearly every restaurant in Taiwan will sell their version of Lou Rou Fan, but many people say My Stove is the best version of the dish.
  • Go for any other homestyle taiwanese food you’d order stateside and be amazed at the discrepancy in quality and execution.

Late Night & Late-Late Night Food

  • Not sure how much of a night owl you are, but there are a few options I loved going to after a night out near Taipei101/XinYi

Xindian Hotpot

  • Google Maps
  • AYCE, closes at 1:30 am
  • probably the first place in my life that made me enjoy hotpot, super hyperbolic, but you get pretty high quality and flavorful products
  • also all you can eat haagen-dazs, or my preferred brand, movenpick

Zhi Xiang Chicken Rice & Cold Noodle

  • Google Maps
  • Closes 6am
  • Cold sesame noodles with chicken is great
  • Lou rou fan is solid
  • But the showstopper here is their soup that literally is 3 flavors of soup in 1: 1) miso soup; 2) egg drop soup; 3) these pork meatballs

Any Taiwanese Breakfast spot

  • it just hits really hard late night

NingXia Market

  • My go to night market, but it’s been such a long time that even the shops within this market could’ve shaken up. There were 2 super distinct dishes I got here that I will always come back for until I find a better version

Big Sausage Little Sausage

  • Quite literally, a rice sausage that’s been split open, stuffed with an insane amount of toppings, then add a sweet taiwanese sausage on top.
  • it’s pure madness, but the version I loved the most at the Ningxia stall that sold it came with wasabi, and that wasabi provides such an incredible nose-hit to chase the grease and sweetness of the sausage.
    image
    image

BOMB cong you bing

  • Essentially, this was an invention from south Taiwan where instead of simply pan frying a scallion pancake, you throw the entire pancake into hot oil and the entire pancake puffs up like a donut [hence the BOMB name]
  • The result is an insanely craggly, crispy pancake. Ask for it to be slathered in soy paste, garlic, and with egg and basil.
  • I was introduced to this at Ningxia, and I hope they’re still there and hoping this has spread to other night markets in TPE
  • a blogpost showing the process here https://nellydyu.tw/blog/post/bomb


Mao Kong Mountain

  • Take the brown line all the way south till you hit the Taipei Zoo, then you can either get a Taxi or Gondola to the top of Mao Kong mountain, known for their teas and views
  • There are a ton of restaurants that have a view overlooking the mountains and you can see Taipei 101 in the distance
  • I haven’t eaten at too many places, but I really enjoyed my time at Big Tea Pot
  • Google Maps
  • Basically, restaurant is focused on cooking with Tea, tea leaves, or any tea product
  • I’m sure it’s not unique to this restaurant up here so definitely feel free to shop around
  • Really really good place to decompress after being overstimulated




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